yeasty ears/itchy skin - diagnosis?

shaylyn

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Got a stray, took her in... noticed missing hair on front legs and assumed ringworm... tests came back negative. Here's the post i put under the stray forum as a response... do these symptoms sound familiar to anyone? any suggestions? I want my lady to feel better : I took my cat to the vet and they told me what i already suspected... that she doesn't have ringworm. They suggested maybe she has allergies. They did a slide of the gunk in her ear and said it was full of yeast. They gave me antihistamines to give her twice a day and this pill which is basically like fish oil (omega 3) for cats. Her ears seem to not bother has quite as much, but they are definitely still itchy. She still pulls out the hair on her arms and her paws, shakes her paws a lot, and has a sensitive skin overall. I've been searching all over the internet and only come across possible allergy as diagnosis. I read some stories of cats with the similar ear symptoms on here, but not really the combo that she has. The vet suggested that I keep her cooped up inside of this one bedroom apartment (my formerly stray queen of the outdoors) which I feel too guilty to do. They think it's fleas, but i've given her some medicine that kills fleas and their eggs and she's also on revolution. I don't think it's fleas. Tomorrow I will go on a hunt for all natural organic cat food ( i've already looked on the internet for recipes so i could make her food for her just to be sure of what's in it... but could only find recipes for homemade cat treats, not food). I guess i'll see if that works but have heard that it takes a lot of time to notice a change. Also, she needs wet food twice a day because the only way to give her the antihistamines is to crush them up and mix it in her food. I don't want to shove them down her throat twice a day. Have you heard anything like this? know anyone whose cat has the same problem?
 

mews2much

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Coco used to lose fur. It would come out in clumps and she would have a rash.She has a ear problem also but nothing helps her. I hope your cat will get better. Coco does chew the fur off her back paws still though. She is Allergic with asthma. It could be flras also because all it takes is for one flea to be on Coco and she gets the rash and itches. Let us know how she is.
 
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shaylyn

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my cat doesn't just lose fur. She pulls it out with her mouth. I have never seen a flea on her. I realize one could bite her outside or something, but does your cat just lose fur after contact with fleas ? my cat pulls the hair out on her front legs and anywhere else she can reach.
 

mews2much

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She chews her fur off. Try the Organic Food it might help. I wish Coco could eat that but she has to be on Uriary Food. Do you ahve pics of the missing fur? Coco chews her fur off by her paw pads and she always licks herself.
 
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shaylyn

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bad picture but the best my camera can do. the results of her habit are mild, but it really affects her behavior and you can see missing patches in her skin. She's spends way too much time pulling out hair and grooming
 

mews2much

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That looks like the back of Cocos back legs. i do not think that is from fleas. It could be a Allergy. When Coco had it from fleas she had a rash and her hair came out in clumps. What foods does she eat?
 
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shaylyn

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she eats whatever we buy her. I was only giving her dry food. i gave her a new food from meow mix... something wellness. it had the least amount of ingredients so i figured it was more natural. the vet said she probably had allergies though and prescribed antihistamines so I had to start giving her wet food twice a day so I could crush up her pills and mix them into it. I don't know what kind of wet food she has right now as i am too lazy to get up, but it's nothing that's all natural . we got it at the grocery store. Tomorrow i plan to go and get her some food from the organic grocery in town to see if that relieves any of her problems. i don't think it's fleas either. i haven't seen one and she took some super duper anti-flea medicine. her vet doesn't have enough time to thoroughly examine her because i go to the cheapest vet in town and she has soo many patients that she can only address what you specifically mention. so basically i need to find out what she has before i take her there. if that makes any sense. but yeah going for the all natural food tomorrow - or someone sent me a recipe so that i can make the food myself and know exactly what is in it!
 
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